The idea of fulfillment in marriage may be too large and subjective to adequately cover in a few paragraphs. However, we may be able to uncover the root of this fulfillment.

Fulfillment, at its most basic level, is a satisfaction of our needs and desires. As couples, we all have unique needs. Some couples have a unique need for adventure; other couples have a unique need for lots of friends. Some couples need to be challenged by goals; others need their quiet time alone.

For most of us, the needs in our marriage are a unique mix of these things and more. This is what makes the idea of fulfillment seem obscure.

Although we may all have needs as couples, we also have a set of needs as individuals that must also be satisfied. Jimmy Evans, in his book, Marriage on the Rock, calls these our "deepest needs."

We often look to our parents, friends, jobs, children, and spouses to fulfill these deepest needs. We do this without realizing that only God can fill them.

What are our deepest needs?
  • Acceptance: We need to feel loved and needed.
  • Identity: We need to know that we are someone special.
  • Security: We need to know we are protected and provided for.
  • Purpose: We need to know there is a reason for living.
These four deep needs, when fulfilled by God, make the satisfaction of all of our unique "couple needs" all the more rewarding.

How do we let God fulfill these deep needs?
By having a thriving relationship with Him, when you spend time with Him daily, He is able to tell you how much He loves you. He is able to reveal who He has made you to be, that you are protected under the shadow of His wings, and that your life has a divine purpose.

When we let God satisfy our deepest needs, we are able to say what the Apostle Paul said: "No matter what state I'm in, I am content." He was stoned, beaten, imprisoned - and fulfilled. We can be fulfilled in marriage because God - not man - fulfills our deepest needs.

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